Catch Me If You Can
by Iceis
Summary: Zoros captured by Captain Smoker and forced away from his crew. While in jail he encounters Tashigi and has a interesting talk.Once Zoro escapes,using Tashigi as a hostage,must travel the grand line to find luffy before his passion for Tashigi finds him.
1. Success and Failure of Many Plans

**Disclaimer: I do not own One piece in any way shape or form……….if I did then I would have picture of Zoro naked already………..damn……..**

A/n: Normally I do Dragon ball z fan fiction about Bulma and Vegeta, but I decided on a break. I'm hoping by doing a different show (One piece which is my favorite right now other then dragon ball z) I can get back into my Dragon ball z works. I've developed a passion for Tashigi and Zoro so that's become the topic of this story……..I'm actually completely undecided on whether I like Nami and Luffy together or Nami and Sanji. When I figure that out then that will be in the story as well. Probably Luffy………..

Hope you enjoy….

Fore note: The prison is really close together. As much as I tried to picture a prison cell on a marine ship I just saw a dark room with lots of cells and a small hallway down the center. So please don't flame me for how 'unrealistic' the scene might be….please have an open mind. (Ether that or Zoro has really long legs……..hehe…you'll understand when you read it.)

Beli: Form of money used in One piece

Katanas: Swords

(Just in case someone didn't know.)

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**Catch me if you can**

Zoro groaned quietly as he woke up. His blurred vision was accompanied by a horrible migraine from the hit he took. He tried to move his hand to hold his head only to realize that his wrists were chained together behind his back. He looked around instantly for his Katanas and saw none in sight. From the view behind the bars of his cell he saw a man standing on the outside. Smoke clouded around the man and some more blew out of his mouth as he laughed.

"Smoker…" Zoro growled.

"Well now…It does seem that we've caught the first mate huh?" Smoker's deep voice only irritated Zoro's headache more. "Maybe now we can get Luffy and that 30 million beli that's been placed on his head when he gets here to save you." Smoker walked up to the bars so that his face poked out from the mist of smoke surrounding his head. "It's funny how easily you were captured. You ran right over to our ship when we pulled up to you. Are you sure you're supposed to be on HIS pirate ship." As smoker spoke he held up the wanted picture of Luffy and pointed to Luffy's face as he spoke the word 'his'.

Zoro's eyes narrowed.

"Well, anyways, you're just a pirate and we all know how stupid they are. Luffy won't last long ether." Smoker grinned as much as he could with the two cigars poking out of his mouth. "You've been down here for two days now. Ill bet you're hungry, but don't worry I might send down some bread and water if you're a good boy."

"Don't worry, I'll escape. For now I'm just resting." Zoro smirked as Smoker laughed loudly.

"Well see little man. Well see." Smoker continued to laugh as he walked out of the prison area.

Zoro tested the strength of the restraints. "I can get out of them. If I only could get a good sleep and some good fresh food to regain my strength, then I could pull out of this easier." Zoro's eyes started to blur slightly while in thought and his need for sleep once again set in. "I've been in worse situations."

Not even a few seconds after he seemed to fall asleep he was being tapped in the foot and awakened. Zoro groggily opened his eyes and looked to see what was going on. The dark lights in the cell made it hard for him to see clearly. Once he was finally focused he saw Kuina kneeling before him, reaching to him.

Zoro was up in an instant after that. "What?" He accidentally yelled out loud.

The girl screamed and jumped back against the cell directly behind her, dropping the tray of food in the process.

Arms reached out from the other cell to wrap around her and grasp her neck squeezing slightly.

Zoro fought to stand up without using his hands and walked closer to the cell door.

"It's you!" Zoro's eyes widened with surprise. "The girl from Louge Town."

"Help!" She gasped

The prisoner holding her licked his lips. "Hey now I've been starved down here for almost a week and already this newcomer gets food?"

"Please…" The girl choked out.

"Why should I?" Zoro grinned and walked deep into the darkness of his cell out of sight. "I'm a prisoner here."

While the girl was struggling he tried to remember her name. "Tashi? No….Tasmi….no…..Tami….?" Zoro watched as her face started to turn blue. "Tashigi. Hm….How about if I save you, you give me a good meal?"

Tashigi shook her head as best she could. She started to struggle more seeming to try to get in a good position to punch him. While she was struggling she knocked her glasses off.

Zoro watched them clatter to the floor and frowned. His eyes trailed back up her body and to her face. "Kuina…" He groaned inwardly.

Tashigi started to dig her nails into his hands. She could see blood slowly dripping from them. Her gasps of air were only short lived as he tightened his hold. "I refuse to give in, I can fight!" Her thoughts were cut short as a black boot shot out of the cell across from her slamming full force onto the mans arm.

Zoro dug his heel deep into the strangers arm causing him to scream and slowly give way to the girl. Tashigi dropped to the ground panting for air.

The man started cursing and once again reached out for Tashigi.

Zoro prepared for attack again, but before he could move Tashigi had finally took on the offensive. She grabbed his hand and bent it back snapping his wrist in the process.

"That's effective too." Zoro commented to himself chuckling at her suddenness.

Tashigi back away form the strange mans cell and headed to the door. "Pirates….your all…just…..just so…..STUPID!" She yelled then ran out the door.

"Just like a little baby." Zoro laughed. His ran forward again attacking the strangers hands as they grasped for the food on the floor. Zoro nailed the center of one palm as the other started tearing at his foot to get it off. "That's my food you bastard." Zoro shouted at him.

"I'd like to see how you're going to get and eat it with just your feet." He spoke in pain.

"I have my ways." Zoro looked at disgust at the man who was planning to kill Tashigi. "How did you free your hands?" Zoro asked.

"I have my ways." The Pirate grabbed Zoro's ankle and twisted it forcing Zoro to practically flip in the air and land face first on the ground.

Zoro groaned and pulled himself up. He looked at the pirate curiously, stunned at his brute power. He saw the man reach into his pocket and pull out some keys that he must have pulled from Tashigi and start putting them into the key hole one by one to find which one fit.

Zoro just watched fascinated at what the pirate would do once he freed himself. He heard the door click and the man push the sliding door to the side to walk out. Zoro finally noticed the Pirates feature. He was dirty, almost so much that it was impossible to make out what he really looked like. His unshaven face and shaggy hair added to his already intimidating composer. Zoro didn't even ask for the guy to help him out.

Instead he watched as the pirate set the keys on the floor of his cell just out of reach of Zoro and turn to look at him with a huge grin. He picked up the bread that was on the ground and stuffed it into his mouth.

Zoro narrowed his eyes wondering what in the world this guy was thinking taking his time to get out of here just to piss him off. A moment later a bullet had launched itself into the pirates head. Blood splattered just out of reach of Zoro's feet. Zoro used his heels to push himself towards the back of his cell until his back was against the wooden wall. The man was dead instantly.

Zoro listened closely as heavy boots pounded on the floor. Smoker appeared with a gun in hand down at his side. He shook his head at the body and pointed the gun at Zoro.

Zoro could hear his heart beating in the stone dead silence of the room. "I can't die now. It would be the perfect time for Luffy to appear." Zoro thought, staring directly down the barrel of the gun.

"Normally I don't use a gun but I'm pissed off. I guess were going to have to find Luffy without using you as a hostage." Zoro listened intently as the gun was cocked.

"Wait!" Tashigi yelled running over to the gun to stop him. She pulled the gun towards her as it went off. Just barely did the bullet graze her cheek. With wide eyes Tashigi dropped her knees on the floor and felt her cheek. When she looked at her hand she took a few deep breaths to keep herself calm.

"IDIOT PULL THE GUN AWAY FROM YOU!" Zoro yelled jumping to his feet.

One of Smokers cigars dropped from his mouth. "Tashigi! What's gotten into you?"

"He saved my life..." Tashigi fidgeted while staring at the ground. She had one hand covering her cheek and her hair fell in front of her face.

Smoker looked at her curiously. "Tashigi, go and get your face checked ill deal with things here."

"He didn't have anything to do with what happened."

"Go Tashigi!" Smoker spoke again.

Tashigi stood and ran from the room.

Zoro breathed a breath of relief that it didn't hit her directly. Before he knew it he felt a fist hit him in the face flinging him against the wall. He looked at Smoker with one eye open. Both his eyes widened when he saw that it wasn't a fist that hit him, but a cloud of smoke in the shape of a fist. "Sit down and shut up." Smoker demanded.

Zoro's back slid against the wall till he was flat against the ground Indian style. He watched as a few more marines ran in and started to clean up the mess of blood and picked up the body.

"Who was he?" Zoro asked watching the pirates lifeless body be dragged from the room.

"A rapist." Smoker looked as if he was distant, probably from the near miss on Tashigi. Zoro didn't blame him. Smoker walked from the room.

Zoro sat stunned not only from what Smoker had just said but from the complete ignorance of the keys in the opposite cell. For a few more minutes some marine started mopping up the blood and even closed the cell door without taking notice of the keys. Zoro didn't make a sound and continued to hope. After the prison was cleaned and the last person left the room Zoro still sat stunned.

Smoker and Tashigi must have been too caught up in the moment to realize the keys. Zoro scooted forward and looked as much as he could down the hall to the entrance to the room. No one was around. He quickly tried to get his foot through the cell bars and into the other cell to pull the keys in. After about a half an hour of fiddling with the keys he finally got them over to the edge of the cell door, but he was having problems getting it over the bottom metal piece attached to the ground. His ankle started to cramp so he brought his foot back over to rest for a moment. He leaned his head against the cold metal bars and had a flashback of Tashigi losing her glasses for the first time back in Louge town.

"I wander what the purpose of me meeting her is?" Zoro thought his expression tightening. "It has to be to torture me." Zoro opened his eyes once again. "I need to get out of here...to get away from her."

Once again Zoro extended his foot and with more determination and started to fiddle with the keys. He closed his eyes and twisted his ankle painfully one last time. Zoro opened his eyes when he heard the clang of the keys hitting the ground.

With new motivation he continued to pull the keys to his cell. As soon as they got close enough Zoro turned his back to them to reach out with his cuffed hands to grab them. Just as he started to pull them up he realized they were stuck to the ground. Again Zoro tried to gently pull at them and when they didn't budge turned around to be face to face with Tashigi.

"I knew he probably stole them from me." Tashigi picked them up and put them in her pocket. When she looked up she realized there faces were only inches apart and darted back against the cell opposite again then jumped in fear from being close to that same cell again. Holding her heart she looked at Zoro.

He had a look of defeat on his face.

Tashigi sighed. "I brought you a good meal." She brought the tray out and set it in front of him.

Zoro tried not to drool. His stubbornness wouldn't allow him to touch the food that the person who ruined his plan gave to him.

"Not to sure how your going to eat it though...I could feed it to you." Tashigi added in all seriousness.

"Why don't you just let me use my hands?"

"I'm not that stupid."

"I'm not that dishonorable!" Zoro said with offence.

"Dishonor also includes lying does it not?" Tashigi plopped on the floor in front of him.

"I have never lied to you!"

"You didn't tell me you were a pirate!"

"You never asked!" Zoro was growling now. "I've done nothing to deserve your hate, nor your pity! Now take your food and leave me alone!" Zoro pushed himself to the darkness of his cell again.

Tashigi brought her hand up to her cheek where there was now a piece of white medical tape protecting the cut. "He…he was a rapist." Tashigi stuttered.

"So I heard." Zoro sounded mad and uncaring.

Tashigi opened a slot in the door with the keys and slid the food in. She pushed it in as far as she could and quickly took her hand out. "You don't know how much it means to me…and even smoker that you saved me."

"Smoker's thankful to me?" Zoro scoffed.

"Well…it's complicated." Tashigi blushed heavily causing Zoro to raise his eyebrow.

"He's your lover?"

Tashigi turned even redder. "No! No, it's not like that! It's just…" She shook her head wildly as she spoke. In her nervousness she pulled off her glasses to clean the lenses.

Zoro stared intensely at Tashigi and reached out with his foot to grab the food.

Tashigi jumped slightly when she saw his foot reach out of the darkness and pull the food back towards him.

"He's….He been asking me to marry him but that's off topic. Don't get the wrong idea. I don't plan on getting married anytime soon."

"Why get on the defensive when speaking about it?" Zoro interrupted enjoying the torture it seemed to be putting her through.

"Cause I ….I don't love him."

"Then don't marry him. It's not that hard."

"It's not that simple!" Tashigi caught herself getting ready to keep going on that topic. "That's not what I came here to talk to you about!" Tashigi yelled. Hearing nothing in return she started her questions. "Why do you consider yourself honorable with your swords? You're a Pirate! Pirates are not honorable."

"Then you must not know a lot of pirates…" Zoro sounded bored but irritated at her words.

"Trust me I know A LOT of pirates. I've thrown over 2000 of them in jail." Tashigi defended herself.

"Did you even really know them or there ambitions?"

Tashigi shut her mouth and tried to come up with something to say. Her thoughts were halted when the plate slide back toward her completely empty.

"Where are my Katanas?" Zoro asked calmly.

"Somewhere a pirate like you can't get them." Tashigi put her glasses back on and examined the plate with her eyes. "That was quite impressive. I'd like to know how you did that."

"I'll ask you again. Where are my Katanas?" Zoro's voice raised a little scaring Tashigi. "A Person who can't understand the difference between human life and stereotypes would not be able to _comprehend _the meaning of those Katanas to me!" Zoro continued.

Tashigi turned from red in embarrassment to red in anger. "And a person like you can't understand the difference between a sword of justice and a sword of revenge and anger." Tashigi returned. "My sword Shigure is my honor and my life. I dedicated my _soul _to that sword and this way of life." Tashigi stood and grabbed the bars willing them to be crushed under her blazing eyes.

Zoro shot at her from the other side of the bars. He brought one hand around her back and the other to hold both her hands. He pulled her face near the bars. "You soul huh?"

Tashigi was too stunned to scream.

"Are you scared I might rape you?" Zoro said furious. "Then scream or you can show me the honor of your sword! If you know I'm a rapist then kill me." Zoro allowed his fingers to trail down her arm to her elbow as she reached to unsheathe her sword. "If you know I'm a murderer then kill me." His voice lightened and he stared at her eye to eye. He brought his fingertips back down to her hand as she slowly pulled it out. As she did so Zoro let his finger slide on smooth cold blade till the tip was visible, just barely missing from slipping into his skin.

"If you think I deserve to die for any reason. Then show me the honor and justice of your sword." He enclosed his hand around the blade and drew it up to his neck and allowed it to linger in the hollow of his throat. "Don't hesitate. Ether I'm a good person or a bad person. Can you vouch for me to be a good person or a dishonorable person? Be careful if you kill a good man, you must live with the guilt, but if you don't kill a bad man it could mean the end of your life or hundreds of other."

Zoro started to slowly push himself forward against the sword edging it into his neck.

"Stop it." Tashigi whispered. "Stop it I say!"

He brought his hand up to her face and allowed it to linger on her cheek, but continued forward. "I could kill you right now. Prove to me how sure you are by your honorable sword of justice and prove me wrong."

"Please stop." She whispered not sure whether she was referring to his flat lining words or his self impalement on her 'soul'. She continued to pull her sword away to keep him from cutting himself, but as she did so he pulled her toward the cell.

"Then scream for help." Zoro ran his thumb over her bottom lip as he continued forward. "Why do you have to look like her…..why her…." Zoro brought a shaking Tashigi's face up close to the bars. Right as there lips just barely touched and Tashigi had dropped Shigure to her side. Zoro paused.

"Stop." Tashigi whispered again.

"Stop me." Zoro closed the small gap between them. He nearly lost all concentration when the soft dry heat from her lips pressed against his. He put his hand behind her neck as he let the kiss go so that he could hold her face still near inches from his.

"How did you free your hands?" Tashigi asked half interested, her eyes half lidded, her face red with embarrassment, nervousness and arousal.

Zoro let loose a lust filled smirk, his face also red, than brought her lips to his again this time tilting his head as much as the bars would allow, which wasn't much.

Tashigi melted as his lips rubbed hers over and over causing her to lose count of just how many kisses there were. Her hand fell through the bars and rested on his hot sweaty shoulder then slid up into his dampened hair.

Zoro slipped his tongue through to lightly touch her lips and just as she opened her mouth to allow it Zoro caught him-self and pulled away. "So much for Smoker." He spoke with an evil grin.

Tashigi slapped him hard across the mouth. "You BASTARD!" She pulled away out of his grasp. I should have slit your throat when I had the chance. You're just the person I thought you were." With that Tashigi ran from the room deeply disturbed and flushed.

Zoro took a minute to cool him-self down. "You almost lost it you baka…" Zoro thought to himself. "Why aren't there any windows down here it's so damn hot!" Zoro tried not to scream. Shaking his head to clear his own aroused thoughts he took his mind back to the current situation.

Again a smile graced his lips. He brought his hand up in front of his face. In-between his fingers dangled the keys.

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A/n: Wow that was hot…. A lot of the stuff on there could have been taken so bad……..wooh! Zoro might seem like a scheming bastard to some of you but hey he's a pirate! Lol. I really hope you enjoyed this enough to read more as I get it out. Please let me know what you think if I should keep going or not. Also for those who don't know the show all to well 'Shigure' is the name of Tashigi's sword.

In the next chapter: Zoro escapes? Tashigi a hostage? How far will Zoro go to ensure he gets back to his captain and how will Zoro find his swords. Smokers not going to be to happy about this chapter. Not that he should about this one ether. Also find out how exactly Zoro got caught.


	2. Escape from havoc

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'One Piece' or any of its characters.**

A/n: Thank you to the people who read this. I guessing it got a pretty good start. I hope I can stick to keeping it interesting as it goes along. My plans for look like a lot of fun….hope other people feel that way.

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**Catch Me if you Can**

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Zoro was sidestepping lightly letting his back slide gently against the ruff wooden wall as he felt his way through the dark hallway. He felt a light switch, but didn't dare turn it on in chance of being caught. He wondered why the light was off in the first place.

Hearing some footsteps down at the end of the hall Zoro pressed himself tightly against the wall and stood rock solid in hope that the darkness would pose him a good cover. Holding his breath for keep himself soundless he watched the two marine soldiers laugh lightly at a joke one had just told. As they got closer Zoro pondered whether or not his blanket of shade would hide him.

A muscle in his arm started to twitch when he realized how close to the light switch he was. He was trying so hard to avoid conflict until he had his sword, but looked as if his attempt would be in vein if they flipped the switch. He started working up a plan to fight them as quickly and soundlessly as possible to buy him more time.

Numerous different maneuvers crossed his mind of how to keep one quiet as he fought the other. Then, he just decided he would punch them both in the gut and hope they wouldn't grunt to loud. The last thing he needed was a shit load of marines bothering him on his way to freedom.

Zoro still stood stock still as they closed in on him, still oblivious to his presence. Zoro felt his senses enhance at the thought of a fight. His finger tips could make out the details of the wooden wall perfectly. The musk of the marines became more intense as they continued towards him. Zoro narrowed his eyes and forced his breath to shallow to controlled movements as his heart beats sped up against his will.

The men inched by barely missing Zoro's nose without realization of his being there. Zoro raised an eyebrow at their lack of intelligence and even let out an irritated breath when they completely skipped past the light switch and continued walking down the hall.

"What dumb asses!" Zoro groaned inwardly. He shook his head and turned to continue down the hall in the opposite direction only to come face to face with another marine officer holding a blade to his throat. The lights flicked on and after hearing the click of guns behind him he turned his head slightly to see the marines had returned and were now aiming their firearms at him.

Zoro smirked and flicked the light switch back off with his elbow……..

Moments later Zoro was now pacing himself at a slow run down the hall sporting a new sword in his right hand.

Back at the original scene a few more marines were helping up there three thoroughly beaten friends as they babbled about the escaped pirate. They immediately dropped the wounded soldiers after they pointed the direction he left and ran after him.

Zoro groaned as he was about to round a corner when he saw a clan of five marines on their way down the direction he needed to go. He waited till they had just barely passed him before charging out at them.

Smoker shook off the flame from his match to light his cigar as he listened again for a noise that sounded like a muffled yell. He adjusted his jacket on his shoulders as he stood to calmly looked out the door.

Zoro passed the cracked door and peaked inside to see Smoker laying a pack of matches on the table and get ready to head his way. Zoro ran at full speed to the end of yet another hallway.

"How the hell big is this ship?" Zoro growled lightly. He turned a corner just as smoker turned his head to look in Zoro's direction.

When Smoker turned his head to look the other direction he saw no one but a janitor heading down his way. Then narrowing his eyes he walked back into his room and shut the door behind him.

From inside a janitor's closet close to the scene of Zoro's recent fight the scrunched marines moaned in pain in their unconscious state as a janitor opened the door and the bodies toppled on top of each other out of the closet. The janitor let out a yelp and this time Smoker flew through the door.

"What is…" Smoker cut off his own woods at seeing his fellow marines bodies scattered on the floor. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at the janitor who had a mop in hand and stood their shaking. His accusing glance made him feel like an idiot. "Who did this?"

The janitor just stood there shaking.

Smoker growled and ran across the hall pulling a trigger to the alarm system.

The marines who had been tipped off about Zoro finally made it to where Smoker stood tense and ready to fight. Their sweating and exhausted forms from the run took the time to catch their breaths and started to tell him about the injured marines down the hall they had just run down. The one speaking halted his sentence noticing the pile of more injured marines.

"WELL?" Smoker yelled.

At the marines questioning look smoker yelled once more. "Who did this!"

"Zoro sir."

"ZORO!" Smoker yelled, his voice echoing about the halls.

Zoro slowed his pace for a moment as he heard his voice being yelled even over the annoying alarm. He looked behind him and after seeing no one he continued to run until he saw more marines running at him with their swords drawn. "They must have an infinite stock of these idiots."

Zoro found a door that wasn't locked and quickly ran inside shutting the door behind him and holding it shut as the marines started banging against the door to get in. Noting that a light was already on in this room he let his eyes linger over his shoulder. He allowed his head to lightly smack the door. He was in the cafeteria for these guys and lunch was in session.

Zoro found himself crashing out of a window in the ship holding the sword in his mouth and protecting his face with his hands. He prepared himself to land in the water only to painfully land on his feet in a small boat. He looked around shocked and noticed a ladder going back up onto the boat.

_"I must get my swords" _Zoro inwardly groaned, frantically climbing the ladder back aboard the ship as the shocked marines stared through the hole in window and started aiming shots at him. As soon as he got to the edge of the ship a troop of marines were already headed at him. He grabbed hold of the rope next to him and cut it loose from its taunt hold on the ship deck.

He felt the moment his feet left the ground that he had made a grave mistake. As he was propelled toward the crows nest he saw the sail he cut crashing down to the ship. At the power it was falling it would break a hole in the ship and sink it. He had to find his Katanas and fast. He watched the sail hit the deck shattering the floor to pieces and by the time he looked back up to where he was flying he saw a broken jagged piece of wood from a newly broken sail facing the direction he was being pulled. He had to let go of the rope or be stabbed through the chest.

He chooses the fore thought. Letting go he watched and prepared himself for the shock landing he would make through and into the cabin of the ship. He was prepared for whatever fate he held.

Tashigi had woken suddenly at the loud burst of sound out on the deck. She fiddled around for her glasses not finding them and sat up on the bed. _"So much for a nice sound nap" _She thought in irritation. _"What in the world is going on out there?"_

She started to pull on her socks when another loud crash slammed through the ceiling of her room. She sat stunned as a body fell though the wood and onto the bed nearly missing her in the process. The bed broke and Tashigi was thrown into the mess of broken wood of the ceiling and bed. Tangled in the sheets she gave one last pull at the one over her head and hauled it free. She wiped the back of her hand across her face where a piece of wood branded her cheek to check if it was bleeding.

It wasn't until she heard a light groan from underneath her that she stared down with blurry eyes at the body she was straddling. She narrowed her eyes to try and see better as to whom it was. The green hair had given it away.

"Zoro?" She squeaked and screamed at the same time.

He opened one half lidded eyes and watched the being on top of him scramble around with their hands in the mess as if looking for something. Zoro's own eyes, still seeing stars from the landing hard, closed to help clear them up faster. When he opened them again he finally realized who was spanning his hips. "Tashigi" His deep voice murmured.

Tashigi didn't stop what she was doing. She knew she had a small dagger hidden under her bed for protection and was somewhere in this mess. Her own sword was across the room and Tashigi wasn't going to give him the advantage if she left her position holding him on the ground to get it

Zoro noticed as he looked towards the door, his three Katanas neatly piled and labeled on Tashigi's desk. Zoro smirked and looked back towards her. Tashigi had seemed to notice something and was trying to pull it up from under a piece of wood from what was formerly her bed. Zoro smiled wider at his thoughts. "Tashigi?" He spoke trying to get her attention.

When Tashigi angrily replied with, "What!" as she continued to pull at the object, Zoro wondered how this women had ever become a marine. "Stop moving Tashigi your causing me a reaction."

That was all that needed to be said to cause Tashigi to freeze and slowly turn to look at his grinning expression.

Before Zoro knew it he found himself with a piece of pointed wood at his throat. "Always at my throat." Zoro spoke with an exasperated sigh. He allowed his head to drop back down on the floor.

"I can't get my dagger out so this will have to do." Tashigi congratulated herself from her fresh improvising with the wood.

"So there's a dagger right down here." Zoro reached with his hand and felt the pointed tip touch his hand.

"Don't move you….you….pirate scum!" Tashigi growled.

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Haven't we been in a situation like this before when you were holding another sharp object at me neck? People really shouldn't be giving you sharp objects."

"Don't mock me! I won't let what happened happen again."

Zoro needed a distraction. Right as he thought that he got one. The door to Tashigi's room flew open and in came Smoker with fire in his eyes.

"Tashigi are…." Smoker started to question and noticed her position on Zoro's lap.

Zoro took the chance and flipped Tashigi off of him and made a run for his Katanas. He reached them in time and unsheathed them, putting one in his mouth and readying himself. He was taken back to see Smoker not even paying attention to him.

Smoker had helped Tashigi up and was now checking to make sure she was alright. Zoro felt a pang of irritation at watching the scene. He told himself it was from Smokers lack of respecting him and not at Smokers hand on Tashigi's body.

After a moment Smoker finally turned to him with a grin of his own. "You think you can fight me boy? How about you just walk yourself back to your cell and think this out."

"The ship is sinking." Zoro commented.

"It's being fixed."

"The ship it sinking?" Tashigi frowned and looked to Smoker.

Again Zoro felt the pang of jealously, no…irritation, Zoro decided again, at Tashigi's looking to Smoker for answers.

When Smoker looked back out the door at the mess on the deck Zoro took another chance. He grabbed Tashigi and held his sword across her throat the other aimed at Smoker.

Smoker narrowed his eyes as Tashigi squirmed in Zoro's arms.

"Bad move boy." Smoker growled, shifting poses and looking to be ready for an attack.

Zoro found holding Tashigi to be quite an irritating task when trying to keep his mind occupied on Smoker. Tashigi pounded an elbow backwards to hit Zoro in the gut only to be cut off by Zoro's elbow. She again tried to attack him this time with her foot kicking backwards aimed at his groin which he blocked with his knee.

"You wouldn't hurt her, you dirty pirate." Smoker commented with his eyes still narrowed.

Zoro took Smokers anger as a slight hint that he was unsure if Zoro wouldn't hurt her. He regretted having to take someone hostage, but when it came down to it no one was going to kill him before he earned his title and if he had to hurt Tashigi to do it he would. Taking the knife he lightly let it bite into her neck drawing the slightest amount of blood onto his sword.

Smoker's eyes widened in shock, but narrowed again just as quickly.

Tashigi grabbed his wrist and started pushing with all her might to push the sword away from her neck.

Realizing Smoker was about to use some of his devil powers he played the trump card he now held at Smoker.

"You try using your powers on me and the slightest wrong move on you part will _force_ me to cut deeper into her. Do you want to risk it?" Zoro kept an impassive look on his face to seem all the more intimidating. "Back up."

Smoker did so and left a good portion of the door open for Zoro to walk through but not enough. "You know what? Tell your marines to back off of me as I exit the room and allow me to leave in peace and I will promise to leave Tashigi unharmed."

This seemed to satisfy Smoker so he did what he was asked of.

Zoro wanted to shake his head at how much of an idiot Smoker thought he was. Zoro guessed Smoker was going to let Zoro go…for a few minutes then attack him as he tried to leave. Smoker must not have thought Zoro had a plan. He waited for Smoker to finish yelling orders out to his men and smoker motioned in false politeness for Zoro to walk from the room.

He did so after kicking up the other sword Zoro had entered the room with and grabbing it quickly and attaching it to his waist band and put the sword from his mouth back in its safe containment at his side, all the while holding Tashigi in place. Now he had 4 sheaths at his side.

The only thing Smoker wasn't expecting was for Zoro to cut a new hole through the wall next to him with his left hand while still holding the other sword up to Tashigi's neck and leave through there instead.

Smoker walked through the door and followed Zoro and Tashigi as Zoro backed up towards the edge of the ship. He rounded some debris from the broken ship deck and looked in quickly to see marines down in the hole trying to board it up as quickly as possible. He pulled Tashigi up to the edge with him and watched as the marines crowed around them at a safe distance in awe at the site.

Smoker let a puff of smoke from his nose and watched closely.

"And just what do you plan on doing now?" Smoker asked. "Let Tashigi go."

Zoro laughed and returned the sword in his left hand to its cover. He brought his lips up Tashigi's ear, not only to mock Smoker, but to whisper warning into her ear. "I would hold your breath it if were you." Zoro whispered just for her to hear. Zoro gave a tilted smile at Smoker and dropped backwards into the water.

Smoker and the marines all ran to the edge and looked down into the water where they dropped and saw no sign of them except for some bubbles where they splashed.

Smoker pushed a few men in after them to find them. "Why don't you go sir?" One oblivious marine asked. Smoker grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Because I ate the devils fruit you idiot." Smoker yelled shaking him.

Zoro popped back up from the water dragging Tashigi along with him. She took a deep heave of air as they resurfaced. Zoro checked to see if she was okay only to notice that after her deep breath she had passed out. Zoro groaned and located the little boat floating next to the marine's big one and swam quickly over to it. He shifted Tashigi on board first and then pulled himself up. He looked up at the edge of the ship grinning knowing they were still on the other side looking for them.

As Zoro set the sail and allowed a breeze to catch and pull them away from the ship he lost his grin. He had planned to make Tashigi climb back up to the ship and out of his hair but had lost that part of his plan to her lack of oxygen. He checked her pulse and made sure she was alright before he heard Smoker yelling curses out to him and promising to follow him to his grave.

Zoro looked to see Smoker and the marines watching them drift off. Zoro held his undecided look of what to do with Tashigi and smoothed his fingers through his wet hair to stop it from dripping into his face.

"Prepare the cannons." A marine next to Smoker called out.

"No, you dumbass Tashigi's on that boat!" Smoker rebutted.

"Looks like your coming with me for now. I'll leave you at the next Island. I'm sure they will come for you there, but for now I need to leave some time for me to get away." Zoro spoke to the unconscious Tashigi.

Zoro watched unhappily as the back of the boat started to turn as if to follow them. "That's my cue." Zoro pulled out the extra sword he brought with him, aimed, and flung it like a javelin at the propeller of the boat. He listened as the boat creaked and groaned in opposition to the foreign object but in the end couldn't fight it and the boat ended up failing to move. Zoro also found happiness in the fact that he had broken the main sail also in his plight so the marines now had no mode of transportation, at least for a little while.

Smoker dropped his head into his hands and watched helplessly as the small boat sailed away. "Just wait Pirate…Just wait."

With a smirk of satisfaction he threw the sheath of the used sword out into the ocean and decided to keep heading in the path he was in hope of land. The thought hadn't occurred to him until after the marines ship was out of sight that they had no food.

Zoro ignored the thought and decided not to dwell on it until the hunger hit him hard. He once again noticed Tashigi and checked her neck to see the damage. Thankfully he hadn't had to cut her bad at all. It wouldn't even need stitches. Now the only thing to worry about was the lack of oxygen to her brain that she might have suffered.

Zoro sat back and got comfortable leaning against the side of the small boat. He watched her realizing she didn't have her sword or her glasses with her. He glared at her face hard in disbelief in her resemblance to Kuina. He felt himself go soft and reached for her pulling her over to his side so she could lean her head on his shoulder. Watching her lying completely helpless on the hard wood of the boat was too much for him. He had to get rid of her. Those were the last thoughts on his mind as he also fell into the darkness of sleep.

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A/n: And chapter 2 is done! YEAH! It was hard to cut corners around the anatomy of the ship….because I don't know it to well. Hope you guys still understood. Please keep an open mind to all that for me. Thanks for reading. The reviews I got for just the first chapter blew me out of the water. I haven't been this happy in a while. Hope this was just as good.

I'm sitting here editing this while eating some cheese in can lol and I noticed that I didn't put in how Zoro got capture….I think I will put that into the next chapter somehow. I don't want it in this one…..sorry about that.

Iceis


	3. Rain, rain go away

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'One Piece' or any of its characters.**

A/n: I don't have much else to say but to please send out a little prayer to everyone in New Orleans and else where suffering undeniably. I would give so much to know what to do to help them. I wish I had any money even just a little to spare….anything, but I know praying will reach out somehow. Please please take a few moments of silence out for the ones who died and the families suffering and give a prayer before you read this…..

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**Catch Me If You Can**

****

Tashigi awoke with a start and a small cough to bring in the air for the breath she thought she was still holding. She started to struggle still under the impression that she was drowning. A soft sigh emitted from underneath her and she jumped back in hurried surprise.

"Zoro?" Tashigi murmured at the sleeping figure. She looked around her in all directions expecting to see smoker or someone with her. When she found no one and only saw the vast ocean in all directions her eyes widened. She covered her mouth and screamed silently into her hand so not to wake Zoro.

When she noticed the three Katanas situated next to Zoro she had a rough thought of taking them and letting them sink to the bottom of the ocean. _"No I couldn't let such beautiful swords be stuck useless."_ She thought stabling herself to stand in the small boat. _"But then again they would be better off then in the hands of this…this…man…"_

Tashigi quietly started to assess the boat and figure out where they were headed without waking Zoro. As she walked past the sail she half expected to see a huge side of the ship full of life and safety through her blurry eyes. She prayed anyways. She knew before she walked over that after about eight steps she would already be at the other side of the ship.

She felt her hands go numb in frustration. Her body started to shake and her eyes clouded in pure anger. She had to let it out before she blew up. Not only did she not have her glasses but also she found her own sword Shigure no where in sight.

She finally let a scream into the afternoon sky and looked into the horizon that seemed to expand for an eternity. She looked over at Zoro who only stirred slightly in his sleep and rolled onto his opposite side away from her. More anger rose from the depth of her body and spilled into her veins like a volcano. She found herself walking to Zoro's side where he was facing her. She decided with a twisted smile to wake him gently and calmly figure out what he expected to do. Unfortunately not all her plans seemed to work how she figured them.

With a hard kick into Zoro's gut she started screaming her anger at him as soon as his eyes snapped open.

Zoro grabbed his stomach and started rubbing it lightly. He looked up at Tashigi with squinted eyes because of the bright sun right behind her and listened uncaring to the words that all blurred together in his sleepiness. He let a yawn and as he did so he heard her go silent. "Finally" Zoro spoke out loud and turned once again falling into a peaceful sleep.

Tashigi's chagrin lasted only a moment before reaching for a sword next to his body. Zoro snapped awake at the sound of the sheath dragging on the floor lightly to be lifted. He turned in a super quick motion, but not quick enough to halt Tashigi from holding it over the edge of the boat.

"Oh, I see now you're awake. It seems you value your swords more then your life." Tashigi spoke through clenched teeth.

Zoro sat on his heels ready to jump into the cold ocean water if necessary and pulled his other swords closer to his side. "I use my swords to protect my life."

"Is that so?" Tashigi asked sarcastically. She brought her hand back over the boat and gently laid it down in the boat at her feet. "Then tell me…" Tashigi walked closer to Zoro and kneeled in front of him. "Tell me…HOW IN THE HELL ARE YOUR SWORDS GOING TO PROTECT YOU FROM THAT!" Tashigi yelled jumping to her feet taking Zoro with her and pointing behind him.

Zoro pulled away from her and turned to see what she was talking about. If it had just been a sea monster then he could easily prove his point.

His eyes widened in realization that he was going to need more then his Katanas to help him through what was coming at them. Deep red and grey hellish clouds were pouring in to there direction. They puffed angrily down at them as if you could reach your hand out and touch them. "A storm…" Zoro spoke out loud to himself.

Tashigi heard him and punched his shoulder as hard as she could which wasn't as much as she thought she could because of his resilient body. Her eyes were brimmed with tears. "Not just a storm! A hurricane and we have nothing but this small boat. Did you not think about the dangers of the grand line when you threw us on this small dingy!"

"I hadn't thought that far ahead yet." Zoro admitted and grabbed his sword strapping them securely to his waistband. He felt the boat start to rock a little harder as the waves built up their stamina. He allowed his feet to move with the boat to keep himself standing.

Tashigi had already fallen over. "First you steal my first kiss, you wreck my ship, kidnap me, nearly drown me, sail away with me on a small boat with no food or water in the middle of the grand line, sail into a huge hurricane that's going to kill us, and worst of all you didn't even bring my glasses."

Zoro narrowed his eyes looking at her as if she was insane. Zoro turned back towards the storm and grabbed the sail to help steady himself as the waves become larger and larger. He assumed that they had about 10 minutes until the storm was situated close enough to cause them horrible trouble. He looked down into the dark murky water and back up into the sky. He was still fully amazed at the way the weather worked in the grand line. At that exact moment the sky above them was still a big beautiful cloudless blue atmosphere.

He watched Tashigi while trying to form a plan in his mind. She looked to be just as amazed by the difference in the weather as he was. His thoughts were interrupted by a large wave crashing into their boat. Water spilled onto the deck and Tashigi was thrown to the end of the boat landing her stomach on the edge of the ship. She would have let out a yell if the wind hadn't been knocked out of her.

Zoro observed for a moment as the water scattered around his feet not knowing where to go. There deck would be flooded in near minutes. They couldn't die though. Not yet he still had a destiny to fulfill. They would ride it out and hang on for dear life. The high winds muffled Zoro's cry as he yelled to get Tashigi's attention. Still holding onto the sail he held his hand out to her.

Tashigi looked at him miserably. Rain had now descended onto them and drenched them in a matter of seconds. It dripped from Zoro's out stretched hand and Tashigi frowned at the little hope Zoro was offering her, but somewhere deep down it struck a cord with her to know he was even offering anything to her in this time of desperation. She couldn't refuse.

Tashigi grasped his hand tightly hoping and praying they wouldn't slip loose, but as soon as she felt Zoro's warm and tight grip on her hand she almost felt everything would be okay. She knew he had no intention of letting her hand go. He pulled her swiftly allowing the next wave that hit them and try and jerk Tashigi from his clutch then slam her into him as the wave passed them.

He held her tightly to the wooden pole holding up the sail, with one hand wrapped around the thin pole then about her waist and the other holding her head to his shoulder. Zoro tried to ignore the seemingly endless amount of rain that poured from his brow down into his face and laid his head on top of Tashigi's to shield her face from the wind and rain mix.

As another wave hit them, they felt the boat nearly flip, but then hold itself steady. The boat took on enough water that it raised to their ankles. Both held their eyes tightly closed and waited for the next blow to finally capsize the boat. After a moment they felt a few small pushes on the boat but nothing big stirred it. Even the rain had lightened slightly. Zoro looked towards the storm and in a stunned silence let go of Tashigi and stepped away from the pole.

The hurricane had lifted. The clouds were slowly breaking apart and rays of sunlight flooded down through the terrifying clouds seeking a place to land on. Zoro ran a wandering hand through his hair to squeeze out the water and started shoveling handfuls of the water on their boat out back into the ocean, deciding not to question their luck.

Finally the clouds scattered and the bright sun bore down onto the boat warming Zoro's skin back to an average temperature. He sighed and continued to drain the boat and realized Tashigi was not helping him. He turned toward her to see her still clinging to the sail.

"Tashigi?" Zoro asked straitening to a stand. "Um…"

"Are we dead?" Tashigi asked innocently.

Zoro couldn't help but grin. "Well….Your still on a boat with me…do you consider that Heaven or Hell."

"My goodness, what have I done in my life to deserve passage to Hell…"

Zoro lost his smug grin and ignored her comment to continue scooping out water. "Help me drain the boat so it can dry. We'll catch a cold if we can't let the sun warm us and the boat before nightfall."

Tashigi opened her eyes and stared into Zoro's back. They were alive. The hurricane had disappeared. She would have thought she had been dreaming if it weren't for her soaked clothes. It was then that she realized she was still in her pajamas with no shoes on. Her eyes widened as she made sure all the buttons were done on her flannel night shirt and pulled up her soft flannel pants that were weighting heavy on her hips with water. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from Zoro.

_"My goodness!__ I'm not wearing a bra!" _Tashigi tried to air out her shirt in the sun to help keep it from clinging to her skin.

"I don't understand how that knowledge is going to help me drain the boat." Zoro murmured in annoyance.

Tashigi's mouth stood agape in realization that she had spoken out loud. She stood in shock noticing how her heart had sped up with embarrassment, but had hardly done anything in the fear that she was going to die a few minutes before.

Quietly she knelt to sit on her heels and in a daze she cupped her hands and worked to help dry the boat from the other side of the deck.

A few hours later they were both sitting dead quiet on the boat each on the opposite end allowing the sun to warm them. Tashigi was not looking forward to a cold night once the sun went down and silently thanked God for allowing them this much sun to dry them.

She heard a low growl and her heart sped up in fear this time. Somewhat making Tashigi happy to know her heart didn't just act up when it came to Zoro. She looked around her trying to figure out where the noise had come from. When she heard it again she looked toward Zoro who was propped up against the edge of the boat with his chin resting on his chest, dozing.

He stirred and she looked away quickly apprehending that it was Zoro's stomach making the noise. Now that her mind was on food her own stomach growled loudly. "So what's the smart one going to do about food?"

"I don't know. What _are_ you going to do?"

"Are you calling me the smart one?"

"No, I'm saying that you need to fend for yourself." Zoro shifted to look over the side of the boat into the water.

"You brought this upon me! So you need to take care of me!" Tashigi shrieked.

"Calm down will you. Stay quiet or you'll scare away the fishes."

"You can't be serious! Were in the middle of the ocean its rare for fish to be close enough to the surface….and the chances of you catching one with your bare hands…." Tashigi cut off her own words as she heard Zoro unsheathe one of his swords.

Tashigi choked on her laughter trying to stay quiet, but failing miserably. She took a sharp intake of breath when she saw Zoro thrust his sword into the water and pull it back up with a small struggling fish spiked on it.

"So what was it you were saying?" Zoro asked with a sly smirk.

Tashigi ran over to his side of the boat and stared off over the edge. "How in the world?" Tashigi looked into the dark water not able to see anything but darkness. "Do it again!" Tashigi commanded.

Zoro shook his head in wonder at the childlike woman. He set himself up again after dropping the fish onto the deck and waited. An hour later they were still waiting and the sun was starting to set. "Seems like your face scared them all away." Zoro laughed.

Tashigi smacked his arm comprehending that it was an almost playful gesture. She watched fascinated as he once again thrust his sword into the water and when he let a soft curse under his breath, she tried not to laugh. He was so prepared to endure anything but so senseless. Tashigi guessed that's how most Pirates were. It made her wonder how this man who had been such a well known pirate hunter had ended up with a captain as evil as Luffy, any pirate with a bounty as high as Luffy's was not to be underestimated.

Zoro found his eyes wondering over to Tashigi who was deep in thought staring at his sword. He narrowed his eyes and looked back into the water. At the sudden sight of another fish he slid the blade through the dark surface cutting it and nailed the fish. In his excitement he drew his hand back up so fast the end of the blade slipped through his water soaked hand and into the water.

Tashigi and Zoro both yelled and dived into the water.

"_That dumb ass Zoro! How could he handle such a beautiful sword with such carelessness? He's trying to be the world's greatest swordsmen and this is how it could end for the very thing he holds dear to his dream. I can't let it be dropped to uselessness at the bottom of the ocean, but damn it I can't see! I have to keep searching its probably falling deeper and deeper, faster and faster, every second. I need air. The pressure of the water is getting to me. I don't think I can go much deeper. I must find it!" _Tashigi reached out with her hands in one last hope of touching it and felt nothing. She looked above her when her lungs felt that they would burst and started struggling frantically back up to the surface.

It was then that she realized she had gotten deeper in the ocean then she imagined. She couldn't even see the surface and her eyes were losing there sight and falling into the darkness. _"Damn… what a way to go…" _

Zoro dropped his precious katana back onto the deck then dived back into the water for Tashigi. He found her drifting helplessly in the heavy depts. Grabbing her around the waist he pulled her frantically to the surface hoping she would take a gasp of air once they resurfaced. She didn't. Growling he heaved her on to the deck and pulled himself up after her.

He turned her onto her back and checked her pulse only to feel light pulsing in her veins. He pushed up her chin opened her mouth and started to present her with his CPR skills. Five minutes of pumping and breathing into her mouth and she finally spit up the water narrowly missing letting it into Zoro's mouth. He wiped his face and fell back against the boat. _"How in the hell was she ever a high ranking marine." _He thought with a sigh as she sat up in a fit of coughs.

"The sword!" She yelled and dived back over the edge and into the water.

Zoro's eyes were wide in disbelief. Choking on his words he forced himself to jump in after her and yank her back up by her arm. When they broke the surface he threw her back up and started yelling at her. "I got the damn sword!" Zoro yelled pissed he had to return to the cold waters once again.

Tashigi looked around frantically and grasped the sword lying on the ground tightly. "Thank God!" She gasped happily.

"What the hell did you think you were doing jumping back in after almost dying?"

"I didn't want to lose this."

"What the hell does it mean to you?" Zoro stomped over and forcefully yanked it from her grasp.

She sat quiet looking down at her hands.

"What the hell does it mean to you?" He asked again a little louder.

"It doesn't matter to you what these swords mean to me. Only that one day a man like you will never be allowed to touch them again."

"A man like me huh?" Zoro paced angrily. "What exactly do you mean a man like me?"

"A man of evil using his swords for all the wrong reasons! These swords were forged in the name of justice and you just throw all that away for your own sick pleasure."

Zoro was more furious then he had been in a long time. He glanced at Tashigi noticing that her lips were a pale blue. He wondered if it was from almost drowning or the cold he was now starting to feel from the declining sun.

"Take your shirt off." Zoro put bluntly feeling the anger drain quickly from his heart.

Tashigi's eyes widened in horror. "You don't expect…"

"You'll go hypothermic if you don't."

"I can't….I have nothing…"

"I won't look. Just do it." Zoro turned his back to her and drew off his own shirt. He dropped to a sit and started unlacing his boots. Once they were off he happily allowed his feet to air out of the soggy shoes. He waited for Tashigi to move or do something, but when he felt her still sitting still behind him he frowned deeply.

"If you don't do it yourself I'll do it for you."

Tashigi stiffened. She would have been more cooperative if she at least had a bra on but she didn't. She undid one button before stopping and deciding against it. She'd rather deal with the cold.

"Look Tashigi. A man whose evil can still hold Honor and I am a man full of that, no matter what type of person, good or evil, you decide I am."

She looked at Zoro's bare, compact, muscular back and noticed some small scars on them. She fought with the urge to go up and read the scars. "Promise me."

"I promise I will honor your modesty."

With the promise she finally decided the cold was too much and she had to do anything possible to stay alive.

Zoro felt a tightening in his lower region when he heard her shirt hit the deck with a damp plop. He pushed the thoughts aside and started to discard his pants.

"What are you doing?" Tashigi asked slightly taken back.

"It would do you good to take the pants off also. I'll assume you at least have underwear on."

"I'd like it if you didn't assume anything." Tashigi spoke angrily, shyly turning away before he started to pull them off. "Keep them on!" She growled.

"Look whether of not you decide to take your pants off is up to you, but I'm not under your command and I don't intend to die out here like this. We have a long night ahead of us." Right as Zoro finished speaking he felt a light touch of a finger run down his back. He tensed until she spoke to him.

"It's code to a swordsman to not attack from behind. It's shameful. You have so many scars."

"None of which on my back are from a sword." Zoro rebutted immediately. He felt her fingers trace one in particular on his shoulder.

"This one is." Tashigi pointed out expertly. "And this one." Tashigi lightly fingered the skin on his back near his hip.

"If you want to call the knife Buggy used a sword then may be."

"You're right it is a wide blade that seems too short to qualify. Still looks painful." Her voice had a caring sympathetic tone to it.

Zoro grinned at the thought of his first fight along with Luffy as part of his crew. Zoro shivered and felt his back break out into Goosebumps as she went back to his shoulder. He waited for Tashigi to say something about it, but she said nothing.

"This on was from a hooked blade, they attacked from the front, the hook just got the back of your shoulder."

Zoro grunted in affirmation, with a little laugh. "A stupid mistake on my part back when I started out in my pirate hunting."

Zoro heard Tashigi fiddling around behind him and finally heard the sound of more cloth hitting the floor next to him. It gave him his cue that he could finally take his pants off leaving him naked except his boxers.

Tashigi had just finished taking off her pants when she plopped down so there backs were facing each other and started pulling off her damp socks. "Thank you." She said quietly.

Zoro snapped out of his daze of thinking how perceptive Tashigi was, to figure out why she said that.

"For saving me….all those times." She finished

Zoro grunted in acceptance and brought one knee up to his chest letting his arm linger over it and keeping his other leg outstretched. He fingered the white sword next to him and watched the sunset fading to darkness. "The sun sets in the west right?"

"Yes."

"Then were headed south."

This time Tashigi grunted in agreement.

"That's about the best navigation I can do." Zoro grinned. "My nakama definitely lets me know that."

Tashigi raised her head at the word 'nakama', companions, maybe even closer then that. "You can proudly call them that?"

"Easily."

Tashigi shivered from the cold and started rubbing her arms. She surprisingly felt much better without the damp clothes to hold in the cold, but still didn't think it would be enough to stop hyperthermia.

"Lean you back against mine." Zoro spoke firmly in answer to her silent question.

She gave in easily nearly sighing at the warmth he had to offer. Her smaller body was pushed back and forth lightly with each of his languid breaths. She could tell how utterly exhausted he was and was now starting to feel the strain on her as well. "You know there's a dead fish on board."

At her completely serious comment in an act of spontaneity Zoro cracked out laughing. At his laughter Tashigi started laughing and both continued to laugh until they were breathless.

"I hadn't realized we had nothing to cook it with." Zoro spoke just now excepting the fact that if he had just not even bothered to try and catch fish with his sword they wouldn't have to sit here half naked and completely freezing on this godforsaken boat.

"We could light the boat on fire and kill two birds with one stone." Tashigi laughed referring to keeping them warm with the fire as well.

Zoro laughed lightly and then calmed himself down. "I gotta pee."

Tashigi gaped. "Thank you for the information." She was even more irritated when she lost the body heat she once had when he moved.

She waited a moment trying hard not to turn and look at him until she heard the stream of water hitting water. "How amazingly pleasant, you men are all alike." She pulled her knees up to her chest cringing when her frozen thighs touched her breasts and kept her nipples irritatingly hard. She dropped her head onto her knees to try and ignore the noise and tried not to crack up laughing at how long he had been going now. "Are you finished yet? My god!" Finally she let out a laugh.

Zoro ignored her and fished up, moving back to his position with his back against Tashigi.

She loved the feel of him. She knew it was just because of her desperate need of warmth but it brought a flush of color to her cheeks. Her own back was now covered in goose bumps and Zoro seemed to be perfectly fine, almost hot to the touch now. "How are you used to the air already?"

"I trained for years out in weather colder then this. This is nothing to me."

Tashigi wished she could say the same, but all her training was done mostly indoors at a dojo. "Did you train at a dojo?"

"Hn..." Zoro responded.

"Who's your sensei?"

"You probably wouldn't know him."

"I'm not going to get past a wall in this topic am I?"

"Hn…"

"Why must you be the greatest?" Tashigi finally found it in herself to ask.

"Because I hold not only my own destiny but someone else's to achieve it. That's all you need to care about."

"How do you hold someone else's destiny? A hostage situation?"

Zoro scoffed and grabbed his white sword thoroughly looking at it. "_Kuina's destiny is engraved in my sword_." Zoro thought with a mix of happiness and grief.

Tashigi looked over her shoulder at Zoro who was holding the white sword up in the moonlight in front of his face. She figured that was all she would get out of him right now from his words getting more annoyed and decided not to keep pushing. Was it her questions that were annoying him?

Zoro set the sword with the two others in front of him. He furrowed his brow when he felt her shiver in the cold and decided to do something about it. "Keep your arms covering your chest."

She did so and immediately started to ask why only to be cut off by Zoro wrapping his arms around her belly and pulling her up in-between his legs.

Tashigi was too shocked to move. She felt her back being pushed into his chest and his arms covering her arms by wrapping the around her front. She kept her knees up close to her chest and Zoro's legs bent up beside hers holding them firm. The warmth was insane. She couldn't tell if it was from his body or her embarrassment.

Zoro sighed and laid his head back against the side of the boat ready to fall asleep.

Tashigi had to give him credit for as close at she was pulled up to him he sure was holding his promise to spare her modesty. He had yet to even react to her half naked intrusion. She felt for the first time since she met him an ounce of trust pour through her.

She smiled widely. Tashigi normally would have hit him by now, jerking away if it wasn't for the cold, but she could wait for tomorrow to do it. Right now it just felt too nice, too safe, and just right in his arms. She brought out some nerve and laid her head back on his broad shoulder, her forehead lay in the crook of his neck and she could hear his heart beating under her ear. Add his sensual masculine scent and a girl, any girl could get used to this.

She smiled when he let out another content sigh and then a thought struck her.

"Zoro?"

"Hn?"

Tashigi could feel his voice reverberate through his hard warm chest. "How exactly did you get captured? I wasn't around to see it."

Zoro groaned and refused to answer the question.

Tashigi let it go.

Zoro frowned and thought about how it was that Luffy managed to screw him over this time. He had the picture of Luffy with his silly ass grin planted in his features swinging his rubber arms back behind him.

"Ready Zoro?" Luffy had asked.

Zoro shook his head understanding what Luffy had intended to do.

"Luffy wait!" Zoro yelled, but before he could resist further he felt the smack of Luffy's hands on his side forcing him off the boat and through the air and into Smokers boat. He had flung through a wall and landed unconscious in one of the jail cells. Smoker had him stripped of his swords and chained up by the time he came to.

"Damn Luffy…" Zoro groaned drifting off to sleep.

Tashigi didn't question his slight comment only slowly drifted off to sleep again ignoring her stomachs protests and her fear of more dangers of the grand line. For now she was going to rest in the most animalistic feel of protection she had ever come across…and she loved it.

Tashigi awoke to the sound of laughing above her. She blinked her eyes open forcefully willing her completely relaxed body to waken. When her eyes blurred to as focused as they could without her glasses she found herself in the center of a ring of long bearded, dirty, pirates all grinning at her.

Zoro awoke at Tashigi's shriek and the feel of her being pulled away from him. He noticed it was light out once more and their boat had beached itself on an island. Zoro's momentary relief was disturbed by the pirates pulling Tashigi off the boat and into the sand. He reached for his Katanas only to realize that they were in the filthy pirate standing before him, hands.

Zoro growled and grew furious as they pulled Tashigi to an upright position and held her hands behind her back leaving her open for all the pirate crew to see.

Tashigi continued to cry out.

The fowl smelling pirates laughed and dared him to do something about his predicament.

"Heh…" Zoro nearly laughed. "Looks like our adventures not nearly over yet."

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A/n: AAHHH poor Tashigi….I feel her pain. It almost hurt to put that in there, but it had to be.

BTW: I actually did not mean for the idea of the hurricane in this story to ironically come to play during this horrible time with Hurricane Katrina. Believe it or not it was already planned out in the story before that incident. Look at it as what my hope would have been for the hurricane…..to just magically disappear before it hurt anyone…..Again I hope everything gets better for all the people suffering.

In the next chapter: Tashigi show Zoro more of what girl power and being a high class Marine means….maybe to much girl power….hehe…next chapter should be pretty funny. PMS is never a pleasant thing.

Thank you for the amazing reviews I nearly scream when I see one appear in my mailbox lol. One review can make or break my whole day…seriously. You guys have made this girl a happy writer!

Iceis


	4. What It Means To Be Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'One piece' or any of its characters. **

A/n: Sorry I took so long for this chapter…I got sick, then hurt, then vacation, then sick again then I got a part time job…..then a full time job….….blah….but enough excuses. Here's the next chapter…

BTW: A.)This story doesn't really have a specific time frame to where this could happen in the real story line. Just kinda have an open mind to it. I personally am still in the Arabasta arc. B.)This story **IS** an alternate universe in a lot of ways. You'll understand. C.) I still do not have a Beta reader who can fix up my stories within a few days of me sending them to that person so I know the grammar isn't amazing…hope that isn't to bothersome! Thank you for being courteous to it so far!

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**Catch Me If You Can 4**

Zoro stood clad only in his boxers and smirked. He ignored the blatant looks that even Tashigi gave him as they finally got a good look at the massive scar searing his chest. "You'll regret this more then you realize if you don't get your filthy hands off my swords."

The pirates looked at each other curiously then turned back to him laughing. "I think your all talk without these pieces of metal."

Tashigi raised an eyebrow and let out a sigh at his choice to defend his swords before her.

One of the pirates pulled his own bayonet from his side and unsheathed one of Zoro's swords. He held blade to blade threatening to scar the fine metal.

Zoro's eyes narrowed immediately and with lightning speed grabbed the pirate's beard pulling him forward and high kicked up into the pirate's throat. The man gagged and fell to the ground coughing as Zoro grabbed his katana back. Looking down at his blade in hand he lazily tilted his eyes to look at the other pirates without physically moving his head.

All the pirates already had there gun drawn and aimed at him. "Bad move dirt bags."

Tashigi groaned and closed her eyes no longer able to take the embarrassment of being looked at in her state. Within a matter of seconds of her eyes closing, she heard a few gun shots and grunts; the hands holding her arms released and Tashigi quickly covered her bared chest. She opened one eye just to catch Zoro pulling up his pants and bending down to retrieve his shirt and waist band. Tashigi looked around curiously as to where the bodies of the pirates had gone.

"They must have run away…" Tashigi started to walk carefully towards the boat where her clothes were when a movement behind her caught her eye. She jerked her head towards the movement, leaning forward as if to ward of an expected blow. Staring wide eyed at the mass of pirates piled up unconscious behind her she quickly understood the situation.

Tashigi faced back toward Zoro. "Wha…"

Zoro threw her clothes to her, which she caught without realizing she now bared her chest again and quickly covered herself once more with the sun dried flimsy sleep wear. "Lets get moving. I need to get to my crew as soon as possible."

With red cheeks Tashigi quickly threw on her damp cold clothes and remained silent. Soon she found herself wandering alongside Zoro through the full forest covering their course. Having no words to say she prayed silently that maybe Zoro hadn't seen her during the fight. She knew her hopes were futile. Long tense minutes passed between them as they trampled weeds and pushed branched aside from their path.  
"It's not like I've not seen a women before." Zoro spoke apathetically.

Tashigi looked up at his face, which was staring unflinchingly ahead, with wide eyes. "Wha…" Tashigi couldn't find the words. Zoro seemed to do that to her somehow.

"Your silence is innerving. You don't normally stay so quiet for so long. By now you would be questioning why in the hell I, a pirate, just helped you, a marine."

"Well…" Tashigi unintentionally covered her chest again and ignored his comment, now wondering if there would be any way of buying another outfit for her to wear.

Zoro looked at Tashigi's face from the corner of his eyes to try and read her blanketed expression. What he saw was the bare slowly healing cut on her cheek from her near miss with the gun. He narrowed his eyes for a moment before stopping dead in his tracks.

"It's a road!" Tashigi joyously called, jumping over a small log blocking her travel and cutting through the grass like a lawn mower trying to reach the wide dirt path. She felt a small pressure at her ankle tripping her and before she knew it she was flat on her face, being dragged back into the woods. For a moment Tashigi thought it might be one of the dirty bearded pirates dragging her, but one swift kick back into the groin of whoever was pulling her leg and the painful groan told her exactly who it was.

"Zoro! I'm so sor.." She started to apologize to him as he sat back on his haunches cupping him self and struggling to stand up again. She stopped when she realized why she was saying it and who she was saying it to. "You tripped me!"

"Oy….Forgive me for being cautious and probably saving your life." Zoro growled sarcastically. He straightened himself finally and thanked God she wasn't wearing any shoes. "We are in the grand line. You're being stupid. Who knows what travels down that road? If it had been more pirates and they started to take you away I would have been tempted to let them." Zoro shook his head angry with himself for ever letting his guard down around Tashigi. He could have easily avoided that horrible blow and kept forgetting that there had to be a reason that Tashigi was a Marine Lieutenant.

"I need new clothing and a good pair of shoes." Tashigi said ignoring him again. "And you're going to help me find some! You kidnapped me and didn't even bring my sword. That means you've taken me in your care! So start caring!"

"Are you sure you want a _bad man_ like me caring for you. You could get hurt." Zoro said with a sly note in his voice.

Tashigi dully noted how he spoke and ignored the slight feeling that welled up in the pit of her stomach. She fisted her hands at her side. She had been doing a lot of ignoring lately. "So then what do you plan on doing?"

"Wait here." Zoro pointed at the ground I'm going to check the road. He started to glide in the wolf like way that he moved and stopped turning his head over his shoulder to look at her.

Tashigi would have considered him magnificent if he hadn't been a pirate. She would have considered him a lot of things. She forced herself to hold in a slight sigh.

"Forget that I 'saved' you. Not only from a boring life with Smoker, but for saving your life from the pirates. I was just protecting my swords."

Oh yes. Tashigi could consider him a lot of things right now. Tashigi felt her anger boiling up like a tea pot getting ready to steam.

Zoro leered at the thoughts he had trailing his comment. "_And from saving your life during the storm and keeping you from freezing to death…" _Zoro Snuck up to the dirt road silently and scanned up the road one direction only to see it continue on into the woods then observed the other direction and his eyes widened slightly.

"It's a city." Tashigi said happily walking past him uncaringly onto the dirt road and toward the city.

Zoro's mouth dropped in disbelief. He shut his eyes counting backwards from ten and only got to nine before realizing the last thing he needed to do was close his eyes.

"At least I think it's a city." Tashigi said tilting her head, squinting her eyes.

Zoro was counting again. "What kind of swordsmen is half blind?"

"I'm not a swordsman I'm a swordswoman." She took a defensive tone.

"A feminist swordsmen."

Tashigi was glowing red. "And what kind of a swordsman is a pirate?"

"A good one apparently."

"Your so full of yourself pirate!"

"Heh…" Zoro asserted himself in front of Tashigi and made a few assessments on his own about the city. "Let's head towards the city through the woods. Were open targets on this road."

"What if their nice people?"

"As a marine on the grand line would you seriously take that chance?"

"I don't have shoes."

"You were doing fine walking on through the woods a few minutes ago."

"I just wasn't complaining. Why do you think I was so happy to find a nice dirt path to walk on?"

"Oh I don't know maybe to run to civilization to help get a hold of Smoker and throw me in the slammer to be hanged."

"Is that why you tripped me?"

Zoro shook his head in agitation. "Fine let's go…" Zoro walked ahead of her disregarding her rants of what kind of injuries she could have sustained from tripping.

Soon enough Zoro found a sign pointing towards the city. "Kaizoku Tengoku?"

He looked around for Tashigi noticing she wasn't right beside him and found her behind him looking shaken and staring at the sign. "Kaizoku Tengoku…."

"You know it huh?" He grinned. Then noticing her reaction to the name finished. "Looks interesting."

"We gotta get out of here!" Tashigi backed up slowly. She shook her head in disbelief. "This is a pirate base…one of the biggest in the world!"

Zoro looked at her in disbelief. "Biggest in the world huh?" He looked back towards the city that still appeared in the distance. They still had a little bit of a walk before they would be in the middle of it all. This was his last chance to turn around and try sailing on that boat again before he dragged Tashigi with him to the city. He decided what to do at that thought. He wasn't taking his chance on that small boat again and what did he care if something happened to Tashigi. She was a marine. She could take care of herself.

Zoro shook his head free of the thought of those disgusting pirates touching Tashigi's nearly naked body…..extremely nice nearly naked….. "Gah!" Zoro growled. "Look I'm going to the city. I don't care what you do. I'm finding Luffy and getting on with my life." Zoro started stomping away before Tashigi could reply.

Tashigi stood wordlessly watching his form march down the hill. She was numb to any thoughts of what to do. Maybe there was someone down there who wasn't a pirate or a phone she could use. She had to keep her marine duties in mind. She was a strong woman who held a good amount of power and the one man she swore to put behind bars was walking away.

Tashigi panicked for a moment when the laughter of a group of men grew louder behind her. She looked back only a moment to see the men headed her way at a distance on the dirt path. Tashigi took off like a lightning bolt. "Zoro!"

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Zoro entered a downtown bar with a jaded expression. He was perturbed to know that Tashigi was wondering around impishly behind him. Zoro crept up to the bar disregarding the drunken sounds of overly joyful bandits celebrating their raids and sat at a stool. He asked the bartender for a drink and waited tolerantly.

Tashigi stood behind him watching the pirates with horrid fascination. "Why would you want to be like them?" She whispered just loud enough for Zoro to hear.

Zoro pretended not to have heard the question as the large mug of rum was set before him. He took one enormous swig of the drink and sighed, feeling more relaxed.

Tashigi looked to the corner of the room and noticed a woman leaning up near a wall with her arms crossed smirking at a group of men playing cards. "_A woman is here? Could she be a prisoner?"_ Tashigi decided to sit on the stool next to Zoro, watch for a while and wait for a good moment to help.

"Oy, bartender." Zoro called.

The bartender, still wiping a glass down, walked over and leaned against the bar with his gossiping ear tilted toward Zoro to hear him speak.

"How much do you think I could get for this?" Zoro pulled a small, smooth, round, gold orb out from his waist band and rolled it between two fingers.

The bartender's eyes lightened immediately. "They 'ave a good runnin price on em, ats for sure."

Zoro deciphered the bartender's heavy accent and poor English and looked closely at the ball. It was a little larger then a marble.

"I'll give ya 15,000 fo it."

Zoro smirked. Seemed it was extremely lucky to have a run it with those bearded pirates on the edge of the island. He was about to pass the ball over when Tashigi's hand suddenly caught his. He stilled immediately at her warm touch.

As soon as Tashigi remembered she didn't have her gloves on and could feel the heat from his hands radiating off of them into hers she pulled away. "_There's my reminder of **why** I always wear my gloves." _Tashigi looked from Zoro to the bartender then to Zoro again. She snatched the ball from Zoro's grasp before he knew what hit him.

She weighed it in her palm and brought it close to her face wishing she had her glasses. "15,000 would not cover half of what its worth." She paused and looked at Zoro. "Where did you find this?"

Zoro gave a weary glance. He decided not to tell her he stole it from the pirates or her stupid sense of righteousness might just pass it over to the bartender for free. "I…It was…passed on to me from a friend a little while ago to use in case of emergencies."

She gave a half smile. "Well this is defiantly an emergency." She held it just out of reach of the bartenders hand as he waited impatiently for it to be given to him. "50,000 for it." Tashigi spoke proudly happy to show off her pricing skill.

The bartender scowled.

Zoro's eyes widened and everyone in the bar quieted down when they heard the large sum. "Tashigi don't speak so loud. The pirates will…." Zoro didn't have time to talk before one grabbed Tashigi's wrist holding the gold ball and pulled her from the stool.

"50,000 this little thing is worth 50,000" The pirate holding her asked.

Zoro's hand flew to his sword and he waited carefully for a moment to strike if needed. "_Lie Tashigi, lie!" _He thought vigorously in his head.

"Of course. Now let me go."

Zoro dropped his hand from his sword, dropped his shoulders and thought "_Just like Luffy…You dug your own grave. I can't travel with her."_ He took another mouth full of beer and set it on the counter.

Tashigi was growing edgy with the steadily growing pressure the pirate was gripping her wrist with. "Let me go!" She yelled unhappily. "You can't have it its Zoro's."

"Don't include me in this! You'll have them after me as well!" Zoro sweat dropped.

Tashigi, who was once worried about her wrist, was now worried about her clenched fist holding the ball as one pirate pulled out a dagger and held her hand down against the table.

"She has an iron grip. Just cut her hand open."

Zoro tried to ignore the scene but found him self watching from the corner of his eyes. Waiting…

"Let go of me…." Tashigi was deathly quiet and serious suddenly. "You'll regret it if you don't let go." When they only laughed she yelled in pure anger. "You're starting to piss me off you disgusting pirates!" At once Tashigi wrenched her hand free with brute strength just as the knife was coming down for her hand. One sound punch later and the pirate, who had been holding her, was set across a table knocking beer bottles, playing cards and ash trays across the floor.

"This isn't yours." Tashigi growled.

Zoro had fully turned in his seat now watching her fascinated.

"Stealing is against the law." Tashigi yelled as she knocked 2 more men to the floor with one well placed punch. As more pirates came charging at her she kicked a chair leg off from the chair of the pirate holding the knife and grabbed the leg as it came off. The man in the chair fell backwards with a thud.

The bartender got down on all fours and crawled out of the bar scared to get involved.

Tashigi used it like a wooden training sword and shoved it into the diaphragms of a few pirates and knocked it into the neck of others knocking the breath from them. She kicked a table over to block a few heading towards her and kicked back behind her into one pirate's leg cleanly snapping it. When all the pirates halted in there places. Tashigi finally got a hold of her self and looked around at her devastation. "On no…."

"Looks like you don't need me after all Tashigi." Zoro spoke with a sly grin. "Oh and you can keep the ball. I don't need it." Zoro stood to leave the room. In his mind he finished. "_I have 3 more in my pocket."_

"No, you can't leave!" Tashigi almost started to sound desperate, but silenced off that emotion.

The pirates all started to surround her again, more coming after her then what she had originally calculated. Even ones once knocked down got back up and headed toward her once more.

"You have to kill to keep these guys down. Their pirates, not some weak marines."

Tashigi's eyes filled with rage and some unshed tears. "Take that back!"

Zoro almost regretted what he'd said….almost. "I'm headed off Tashigi. Good luck."

Tashigi felt a few pirates grab her arms and one hold a knife to her throat. She felt the cold puncture of the blade bite coldly into her skin. "Zoro…"

Zoro refused to look back knowing what would happen if he did. He would look in her eyes and see helplessness and end up saving her once again. He couldn't keep doing this. He didn't have time to waste his swords on mere low class fighters, but once again he couldn't find it in himself to just leave her.

"You come with me without complaint to help me find my nakama and let us go free once I do and ill make sure you get back to smoker." Zoro bargained telling himself it was so he could use her navigation skills.

"I can't let you go free." She tried not to whimper.

"Then ill be seein you….maybe…" Zoro replied opening the door and walking out. Tashigi watched as the sun light flooded the room when the door opened and a tear of desolation rolled down her cheek as it closed sealing in the darkness once again. That's what she gets for trusting a pirate.

"So what should we do with her? Kill her? Or use her a little bit?" One pirate asked.

"We could sell her."

Tashigi looked at the person who just spoke. It was the women from earlier.

"She could go for high price on the sex slave market." The girl spoke again.

Tashigi felt leveled by the words coming from her. She was a pirate too…a women with complete a total apathy for what was happening to her.

"I say we take our turns too." One pirate grinned happily.

Tashigi felt her body swell with anger. She had seen many men thrown in jail and had thrown much of them in there herself, but it had never occurred to her that a woman pirate could be just as bad even worse then a male. So hard she had to work as a female to get where she was and it just disgraced her beyond belief to see a woman in this position. Only then was there a reminder to try harder to not give up. She had to keep on living, keep on rising to the top.

She may have to ask a bandit for help, but she would punish herself later. She would agree to Zoro's compromise and just find him after the deal was over and prove her abilities as a marine.

"ZORO!" Tashigi yelled loudly stunning the pirates around her. "IM NOT READY TO DIE YET!" Tashigi waited and preyed that he would still be close enough to hear her. He didn't disappoint her.

The window shattered inward spraying half the crowd with broken glass and Zoro appeared landing firmly on the ground with all three his swords drawn and ready to fight.

Tashigi remained immobile letting Zoro take care of the mess. "A pirate….seeking help from a pirate… What have I come too…?" She murmured discontented with herself.

By the time Zoro was finished he hadn't even broken a sweat. He looked over to Tashigi to bark at her to get out of the building and found her leaning slightly against the wall holding her stomach. "You're hurt." Zoro sounded more sympathetic then he had meant to.

"I'm fine." Tashigi smiled. "Just a small hunger cramp."

Zoro sighed. "Lets get you clothes and a meal and we figure out what to do next after that."

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Tashigi fiddled uncomfortably in her seat as the meals were placed in front of her. She pushed up the sleeves of her long sleeve light purple shirt and unzipped her cream colored vest. Her jeans were slightly snug, but the boots fit perfect. Her one biggest complaint was that there were no bras on the island.

"_I'm sure female pirates just don't care for that sort of thing."_ Zoro had spoken at the shop.

Tashigi hated the feeling of her nipples being rubbed raw on the fabric. "How in the world would they not need or care for 'that sort of thing'" Tashigi growled.

Zoro looked up from stuffing his face. "Did you say something?" He spoke through a mouth full of food.

Tashigi shook her head at his manners. "Nothing." She thought about the look that one female pirate had giving her as she spoke about making Tashigi a sex slave, that hard uncaring look. "What exactly do they care for?"

Zoro stopped eating and looked up at her. "Who?"

"When I was a little girl I was told over and over that I could never wield a sword. I fought and struggled so hard to get where I am. To see a women…become something so low…it makes me feel my dignity run down the drain. Like all my work was for nothing. No one seems to look at a man's failures like they do a woman's….ah…I….that women.." Tashigi lost track of what she was getting at. She was way too emotional. This wasn't like her.

Zoro caught on. "Not every person, women or man, gets the chance that you did to become what you are."

Tashigi eyed him warily from her small stack of pancakes.

"When you try so hard to do something and you fail, some people will do anything to find a loophole to get what they want. Their people just like you Tashigi. They just never got that chance."

"Why can't they keep fighting? You think I didn't fall…."

Zoro interrupted her with a hard voice. "What's to say they aren't still fighting? What's to say they didn't try as hard as you did…as hard as you do." Zoro's full attention was on her. "Some would say they fight harder then you do."

"Who are you to judge how hard I fight!"

"A pirate" Zoro said pointedly. "And a swordsmen. You judge me Tashigi. Why can't I judge you? It's a fair trade don't you think." Zoro finished with a smirk.

"You're mocking me."

"No, I'm telling you something from a _man's_ point of view who has failed many times in the past…" Zoro looked down as memories flooded his mind of how much he fell at Kuina's hands. "And watched others do just the same." Zoro then had visions of Kuina's casket being carried across the raining grasslands to her grave and frowned.

"I'm a pirate Tashigi, but I started out just like you. Does it have to piss you off so much that even though I'm the man you're sworn to fight against that I have the same honorable goal as you do and fight just as hard." Zoro's voice was angry, but still held a reasonable tone. "Were only human….with fragile lives. We fight with our all too at least survive, but it's not always enough."

Zoro had just realized how quickly he had let his topic run from a woman pirate, probably just trying to make a living and survive, to woman defying her grave to reach her goal. Zoro subconsciously fingered the hilt of Kuina's Katana. He wasn't just surviving for himself now. He was surviving for Kuina as well.

He mentally smacked himself for letting himself get so deep. He focused his attention back on the food and remained quiet.

Tashigi was silent for a long moment. "Don't preach to me like I know nothing." Her voice was intimidating quiet. She shifted again in her seat and looked around the room.

Zoro raised his eyebrow at her somewhat odd behavior. "No one will be able to hurt you here."

"I didn't say they would." Tashigi eyed the far corner. "Excuse me for a moment."

Zoro watched her leave the booth and understood when he saw the bathroom sign. He turned back to eating and when she didn't return after 10 minutes walked back to find her. "Tashigi?" Zoro called into the small, mildly grimy room.

"Zoro." Tashigi called back. "We have a problem."

"We?" Zoro's cheeks tinted slightly not understanding what could be wrong.

"YES WE!" Tashigi yelled suddenly.

Zoro was taken back. Even more so when he heard her slight whimpers.

"I started my period…." Tashigi whispered, but enough that Zoro heard.

"A period?"

"My… MONTHLY Cycle!" Tashigi strained to calm her words. Of all the times…

"Oh……." Zoro still didn't completely understand. Wasn't sure he wanted to.

"I need….something…to help…"

"You need….what?"

"A pad…."

"A pad?" Zoro was getting more confused by the minute. "Why do you need a pad…?"

"Zoro….you have not a clue what a period is do you."

"uh…" Zoro thought hard. He had heard of monthly cycles but not what happened during them except for being overly emotional and lazy. At least that's how Nami got. She never seemed to do anything and always lay around not wanting to be bothered. He hoped Tashigi wouldn't hit like Nami would. Not that Nami didn't do that all the time anyways, it just seemed so much worse around that time. "I kinda…"

"I need something to stop the….bleeding…"

"Bleeding? Like you need a bandage? So you did get hurt…let me.." Zoro pushed against the door finding it locked.

"Zoro!" Tashigi whined smacking her forehead with her palm and thanking God _had_ she locked the door. "I just need to calm down…."

"Just…..use toilet paper for now and we'll get something to help stop the bleeding when you come out."

Tashigi looked at the roll not happy about how unsanitary everything was here. She hadn't thought of using toilet paper. Now she just felt completely stupid. "How bout you don't help me and I'll meet you back at the table."

She heard Zoro give a huff of breath and mummer something about how irritating women were as she paced from the room. As soon as the door shut she dropped her head into her hands and moaned. "Looks like our adventures just getting started…."

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A/n: I wonder if Zoro even wears underwear……..but I didn't really want him naked holding Tashigi on the boat…….at least not yet muahahahaha. Evil grin I hope you guys like. I'm extremely thankful for the amazing reviews I've received so far. There WAY better then expected and keep me smiling for hours on end…..literally. Thank you sssooooooo much!

In the next chapter: Tashigi and Zoro need a place to sleep….and a boat for them to sail to more adventures.

Iceis


	5. Tashigi's fall

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'One Piece'……..damn it!**

**A/n: Wow it's been a while. I promise it was not writers block because my ideas are flowing fine, but I'm in a huge rush to find a good full time job (which isn't going well) because me and my boyfriend just recently got engaged. Squeals with joy Wish me luck!**

**I've actually gotten a little bit of none aggressive heat about the lecture Zoro give Tashigi, people saying that it was too intense and out of character for him, but I beg to differ. If anyone's out of character I think its Tashigi which I wish to make amends to. I know she's a lot more polite and serious. I think after writing for a character like Bulma from DBZ for so long you kinda get attached to the bitchy princess. Anyways about Zoro's lecture I've seen many an episode where Zoro faces a certain enlightenment and talks even intellectually. I don't believe Zoro's book smart, and maybe not 'street smart' but he's defiantly not dumb when it comes to his craft. He obviously knows all the inns and outs of it and I wanted to show that..……I'm done….lol Enjoy the story!**

**I also found out recently that there is a difference between Katanas and swords…Forgive me that's my bad. I'll try and make myself call them katanas for good now.**

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**Catch Me If You Can**

The last thing Zoro remembered was leaning his head against the cool glass of the window from his chair, having finished his meal. Tashigi was taking her time on her pancakes, a red blush stained on her cheeks. He must have fallen asleep. _"So much for being alert 24/7."_ Zoro thought gravely.

"What are we going to do first?" Tashigi asked quietly.

Zoro inwardly groaned. Didn't she know not to ask question's the second a man opened his eyes? "We need a boat."

"We don't have money for a boat."

"Where not gonna buy a boat."

"Well, than were back to stage one already."

Tashigi didn't seem to catch what Zoro had meant so he decided not to ruin it. "I'll figure something out."

"I need glasses" Tashigi ran her hands through her hair silky black hair wishing she could she just how horrible she looked.

"You're just as beautiful without them."

This shut Tashigi up a bit

Zoro waved over the waiter, produced a gold coin from his pocket, and flipped it into the air as the waiter past. The waiter caught it and continued on past them.

"Wait here Tashigi." Zoro announced then abruptly left the restaurant.

Tashigi's eyes widened. The idiot had left her unprotected on a pirate island. She calmed herself. _"I just need to stay aware. I'll be fine_." Tashigi thought. She glanced around and noted that few eyes were on her. Catching the eyes of one ruthless looking pirate in particular she slid her hand across that table and grabbed the butter knife and dragged it back under the table out of view. The man shook his head and looked away focusing back on his food.

"_I think I know that guy_." Tashigi examined a man with no manners piling down bucket loads of food. _"Frini…"_ "Frini!" Tashigi called out to see if he'd look up.

He did. He watched her uncertain.

Tashigi stood, broad smile on her face, and walked toward him. People shoved out of her way hesitant of what she would do with the knife she still clutched in her hand.

Realization stuck Frini's features. "My lord Tashigi. What are you doing here?"

Tashigi's grin sobered immediately. She looked behind her to see if Zoro had reappeared yet. "I've been kidnapped by a pirate." She whispered harshly. "You've got to help me."

"I…I can't." He set down his utensils and gulped down a sip of water still watching her and the knife almost nervously.

"Why not?" She lowered her voice. "You're a spy for the marines you have to have connections somehow. Alert Captain Smoker and let him know where I am."

"Again Tashigi I can't."

"Why the hell not!"

"I'm wanted."

"No…"

"I'm a pirate now Tashi."

"You have to help me!" Tashigi subconsciously swung the knife around and the waiter swiftly dodged it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Frini grabbed her hand to try and stop the motions. "You have to get out of here Tashi. There's no other marines with you are there?" He looked around suspiciously.

"_No…"_ Tashigi thought. _"He used to be one of the stealthiest spies the marines held. A people person by far he could get a mute to speak like a parrot on caffeine, or so a few of the marines said." _Tashigi noted his weight gain and greasiness, defiantly a huge difference from the fit handsome man he used to be. She used to have a childhood crush on him when she was a little girl, one of her role models. "Did you even hear what I just said about being kidnapped?"

"Because if there is…"

"Because if there is what? You'll die of a heart attack from all the fat your eating?" Tashigi gapped at the pile of hamburgers and fried food half eaten in front of him. "What happened to you?" It was as if he was slowly changing before her eyes as she kept noticing something different about him every time she blinked.

"Tashi…"

"Don't call me that! It's Tashigi! Sergeant Major Tashigi!"

"Sergeant." He mock saluted and it was the end of the line for her.

Tashigi punched him knocking him off the stool he was on and to the ground. He stayed unconscious. She immediately regretted it. _"What's wrong with me? When did I become such a loud mouth bitch? It's because of that Zoro."_ Tashigi felt a head ache coming and pressed her way through the gathering crowd to the front doors rubbing her temples. _"Its time to start over, take charge, make it out of this alive with my dignity attached."_ She heard some applause behind her that cut off when the door swung shut.

When she lifted her head she saw Zoro headed up the path towards the restaurant. _"I will agree to this union in order to come out of this intact and when the marines finally get to me I'll turn him in."_ She looked at Zoro once more and he smirked at her. She felt like she someone squeezed the air out of her lungs. _"But that would be dishonorable and I'd be lying….well not exactly. It would only be breaking promise with him if I didn't help him find The Straw Hat Pirates first."_

Zoro was only a few feet away as she decided. _"Alright. For saving my life I'll go along with this. If anything I can do some spy work while with him. Scope out some bases, learn more about the Grand line. Maybe get his swords from him and take them into better hands."_

Tashigi then noticed his hands as he stopped in front of her. His left arm rested on the ends of the three Katanas. His right hand fiddled with the end of the beautiful white one, Wado Ichimonyi. He has such perfectly crafted hands, his hands alone told countless stories of his sword play. She almost asked him to tell, but snapped her mouth shut.

"What's going on in there?" Zoro lean a little to one side to see behind her.

Tashigi snapped back to the scene. "Um…uh…..nothing important." She stepped forward to get further away from the door and apologize to Zoro for her attitude, her head still pounding. She completely missed the small step right in front of her and fell to her knees. "You could have tried to help me!" She groaned.

"It looks like there was a fight?" Zoro peered in through the window. "You didn't get hurt did you?"

"No…"

"You fell."

"Yes." Tashigi stood on her own. _"Mr. Obvious."_ She added in her head, then groaned angry with herself for getting upset again. She sighed in defeat. "Let's just go…" Tashigi started down the path Zoro came from not exactly sure where she was going.

Zoro took one last brief look into the window then followed to catch up with Tashigi. He walked directly beside her. The path was narrow enough that their arms nicked every now and then.

"What's the plan?" Tashigi asked.

"We take a boat, leave the island, find my Nakama." Zoro simplified.

"How will we get a boat?"

"I told you to leave that to me." Zoro sideways glanced at her. "Now what's wrong?"

Tashigi's head snapped up and she removed her hand from her temples. "Nothing!" She said sounding surprised. _"Suck it up Tashigi, don't look so weak."_

"Don't think I'm stupid Zoro I know how you pirates work."

"Do you?" Zoro humored.

"Is the marina this way?"

"Yes, if you just look straight ahead." Zoro pointed down the little hill towards the water and the docks.

Tashigi looked down his arm, but stopped there noticing yet another scar on his well tanned forearm. She bit her tongue to keep from commenting. "Yea, I see."

They walked in silence the rest of the way. Zoro led her next to the boat he picked out. Tashigi was impressed. It looked like a nice cheap boat, at least cheaper then almost any other boat she saw so far, about the size of a small house, that would perfectly accommodate two people. She couldn't wait to get on board and check out the interior. It was a newer model and looked very simple to steer. Not only did it look perfectly sturdy, but it was built to hold up nice and tight through the grand line's unpredictable weather, an easily maneuvered boat.

"Wow Zoro, this is a perfect pick. Was there a previous owner or is it brand new. It looks quite fresh."

Zoro shrugged.

"Great job picking this one out!" Tashigi complimented.

"I liked it because it was the only one with a crows nest on it."

Tashigi's large grin faltered.

"I really wanted that one 2 boats down but I need to have a crows nest."

Tashigi ignored his oblivious remark and jumped onto the boat to get a feel for it. She ran below deck to check out the rooms. She found the kitchen first, small but comfortable it was well stocked with fresh food. Tashigi secretly loved to cook on her spare time so she wasn't worried about needing a cook. She took a few steps further down the hall and came to the next door, a bathroom. Tashigi felt her stomach drop, there was only one door left down here which only meant one thing. She felt the boat shift meaning Zoro was launching out, but she was to nervously preoccupied to really think into it. She checked the last door, a single cabin, one bed.

"Wait a minute!" Tashigi realized. "The kitchen's well stocked? He was only gone about ten minutes…meaning this is someone's boat." Tashigi took off up the stairs.

"Zoro!" Tashigi spin around trying to locate him and she did behind the steer. "Zoro the kitchen! This is someone's boat isn't it. It's completely fresh stocked."

Zoro raised his eyebrows. He hadn't even thought about food…well, thank God then. "The owner must have gone through the trouble of stocking it for us while I left to find you." He fibbed. _"Hey, it's not as if I'm saying he DID stock it." _Zoro comforted his thoughts, he really did hate lying.

"Really?"

"Sure."

"What about money? You said you didn't have enough." Tashigi looked back at the Pirate town as it shrunk in the distance. They were moving at a good pace.

"Don't worry. I gave the marina official an offer he couldn't refuse." Zoro mentally got a picture of the bloke laying on the ground of his cabin out cold.

Tashigi contemplated that for a while. "What did you give him?" She continued to dig.

"A stone." Zoro quipped.

"Oh, you had a ruby? Or was it a diamond? I wish I could have seen it." Tashigi drowned in her own thoughts.

And Zoro was happy for it. He _had_ given the guy a stone…or at least used one to knock him out…same thing. He hadn't had time to go and out it with the guy. He felt kind of shameful for using such low methods but it did get the job done and gave Tashigi a good excuse to help her sleep at night. Zoro smiled, but it didn't last long. He realized then that he had forgotten an log pose. He had no idea where he was going.

"I brought a map." Tashigi stepped up to the steer. "The weathers perfect and the winds blowing steady so you don't need to nurse the wheel for a while yet."

"But without a log pose…"

"We don't need one until the next island. Were gonna need to find a way to make money though."

"It shouldn't be so hard."

"I hope so." Tashigi narrowed her eyes at him. "One bed!"

Zoro jumped at her exclamation. "What?"

"There's only one bed in the cabin."

"And."

"And?" Tashigi asked incredulously. Nervous she took a step down the steps to the front of the ship. _"Does he mean he's going to force me to share a bed with him? Never!"_

"Tashigi. Careful!" Zoro started after her when he saw her impending fall down the stairway.

"Don't touch me!" She jumped backwards when Zoro's hand reached out to grab her arm. He still got a hold of her, but now he was perfectly unbalanced.

Both of them tumbled down the rest of the staircase, but Zoro used most of his body to break all of her fall. She ended up on top of him, but swiftly jumped up and away from him.

Zoro grunted in pain and pulled the sharp edge of one of his Katana hilts away from his side. That was going to leave a massive bruise. It took him two tries to sit up, but he was happy to know that nothing was broken. "The beds not a problem Tashigi." He added breathy. "I have no problem sleeping…really wherever." He waved a hand as if ending the discussion. "The bed's yours."

Tashigi took a step towards him. "I…thank you."

Zoro gazed at her. "Word of advice Tashigi don't thank a pirate. You might start to like them."

Tashigi sobered from her heartfelt confession. Her mouth dropped when he winked at her then stood up with a little help from the side of the boat.

"I…I'm going to make food." Tashigi rushed below deck trying to run from her blush.

Zoro shook his head watching her back as she ran. He started to walk towards the mass to lean against for a much needed nap when he heard the tumble down the stairs. He ran towards the entrance to the stairway before he heard Tashigi's own breathy words.

"I'm okay. Really."

Zoro rubbed his eyes, leaned against the door frame than laughed.

That night Zoro made himself comfortable in the crows nest and fell into a deep sleep.

Tashigi on the other hand had only tossed and turned under the covers so far. She couldn't help but think how she could lay in bed all cozy and warm and he would sleep like a….well like a pirate. She rested her arm over her eyes trying to get his discomfort out of her mind. He disserved it didn't he? He deceived her and tricked her…and held her…..kissed her.

Tashigi reached for the ice pack she had made for her ankle when she fell only to find the ice melted. She winced when she removed the covers from her legs and set them flat on the ground. Hobbling down to get some fresh ice she noticed that the temperature had dropped dramatically, needless to say she got worried again.

After refreshing her ice she grabbed two blankets and a pillow and headed up to the deck. She would show him that she could be just as tough as he could. Being a woman didn't mean she needed comfort.

When she finally and painfully made it to the deck she found that Zoro had transferred himself to sleep against the boats side in a sitting position. _"How does he sleep sitting up?"_

She realized why he made the move when a gust of chilly air blew her hair behind her. She looked up at the crows nest. _"I can only wonder how it is up there."_

She opened one of the blankets and threw it onto Zoro trying to get it to where it would work best without touching him. After she did so she could only take this chance to stare at him. He was so peaceful he almost looked dead. His short hair barely moved when a small sweep from a breeze tousled his blanket.

"_Green hair."_ Tashigi's mind wandered. _"Who in the world has natural green hair."_

Tashigi got onto her knees with a small wince and tucked the blanket in tighter so the wind couldn't move it.

She checked the wheel to make sure it was still going steady and looked to the stars to check their direction. It was a wonderfully clear night, a waning gibbous high in the sky giving just enough light to the deck.

She hopped silently over to the opposite side of the deck and made herself comfortable leaning against the side board. Directly across from her she could see Zoro's handsome figure half drenched in moonlight. She looked at her pillow then over at Zoro and instead of using it for her head laid her throbbing ankle onto it and laid the ice bag onto of it.

She stayed like that for almost an hour watching Zoro sleep until he started snoring. Giggling she had to cover her mouth to keep from being loud even though she already could tell what a heavy sleeper he was. She continued to watch him as he grew silent again and as the air started to warm she also drifted into a deep sleep.

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A/n: I hope this was long enough to hold you guy over for a little bit. Also again I'm sorry I don't really know the names of the structure of a boat. I know a lot of words but not what they are. If anyone has the time and feels like it could you please let me know (on a review or even an email) what the different things are. (Such as starboard, port…and the likes.)

In the next chapter: Zoro and Tashigi start there adventures to different Islands and must find different ways of making money. At least for Tashigi's sake Zoro has to. Things are going start heating up.

Iceis


End file.
